Thousands of people from across the world celebrated the 9th International Yoga Day by practicing yoga at various events on Wednesday.
On the occasion of Yoga Day, many politicians including President Droupadi Murmu, and union ministers including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Sports Minister Anurag Takur, Health Minister Manusukh Mandaviya performed yoga at various events organised in different parts of the nation.
President Droupadi Murmu urged everyone to adopt yoga in their daily lives and experience its transformative power. Yoga is India's great gift to the rest of the world, she said.
"Greetings to all on the International Day of Yoga! Yoga is one of our civilisation's great accomplishments, and India's great gift to the rest of the world. Yoga brings together the body and the mind and it is a holistic approach to life," she said in a tweet.
Union Minister Amit Shah also greeted people on the occasion of International Yoga Day.
"Best wishes to everyone on International Yoga Day. This is an invaluable heritage given by India to the world, which Narendra Modiji has worked to take to the whole world, With efforts of Modi Ji, today 'Yoga' has become a lifestyle of people all over the world," said Shah.
Rajnath Singh along with Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral R. Hari Kumar performed Yoga onboard INS Vikrant at Kochi.
Vice President, Jagdeep Dhankhar and other dignitaries took part in a collective yoga programme held at the Garrison Ground, Madhya Pradesh.
Indain Army personnel on Wednesday performed Yoga at at Pangong Tso Lake in Ladakh on the occassion of the 9th International Yoga Day.
Also as many as 3,000 persons with disabilities practiced yoga together at an event in Ghatkesar, Hyderabad. Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar took part in the event. Those with visual impairment, hearing impairment, locomotor disability, intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy, and thalassemia from across the country performed yoga in this event.
A group of Yoga practitioners performed 'Jal Yoga' in Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram to mark the occasion. They performed the asanas in water.
The concept of International Yoga Day was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2014 address to the United Nations General Assembly. Yoga has gained a lot of popularity worldwide since then.
This year the theme of Yoga is "Yoga For Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" that is Yoga for the welfare of all in the form of "One World-One Family". It emphasises the spirit of Yoga, which unites and takes everyone along.